In the field of data communication or providing data, in particular in mobile networks, different ways for handling or providing great amounts of data or to provide the same data to different devices are known. The provision of data includes transferring of data from one device to another device. In order to reduce the amount of data to be transferred or communicated to provide a given amount of payload data to the devices several ways like grouping of the devices are known.
For example so called Machine Type Communication (MTC) Groups are known. MTC applications generally involve a group of devices. Typically applications today involve more than 1000 subscriptions for a single customer. From both customer and operator points of view, there is benefit in optimised handling of groups of MTC devices.
One possibility belongs to 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) MTC, see for example 3GPP TR 23.887 v0.5.0 dated 28 Nov. 2012. In particular, 3GPP SA2 is studying different solutions to optimize the network by grouping devices for the following key issues:
Group based Messaging: to efficiently distribute the same message (e.g. a trigger request) to those members of an MTC group that are located in a particular geographical area on request of the Service Capability Server (SCS).
Group based Charging: In many cases, the data volume of CDRs generated by MTC applications is greater than the volume of actual user data transmitted. In these cases it may be beneficial to create bulk CDRs to count chargeable events per group instead of CDR creation per individual device.
Group based Policing: to enforce a policy for a group of MTC devices. This allows greater flexibility to the MTC application or MTC application owner compared to individual policies for each of the devices, while at the same time ensuring the operator that the particular group of MTC devices does not unduly load the network.
Group based identifying and addressing: essential to support group based features such as messaging, charging and policing.
Furthermore Profile Grouping is known. In particular, there will be groups of MTC devices that will typically have subscribed the same service profile or at least a common set of services.
However, several problems are linked with existing solutions. One of the most challenging issues for companies operating cellular networks is the overload of its networks due to the drastic increase of signaling due to MTC devices. Besides, the ratio between network signaling (that is usually not billed) and network payload (that can be billed) could decrease a lot for certain types of devices.
Profile grouping in central databases can optimize provisioning and storage resources in the central database, but when populating such profiles to other local databases in the network will mean massive procedures.
For example, all of a group of fire alarms spread in a wood connected to the central alarm system through a GPRS/LTE wireless connection may have the same 3GPP data profile. All of them are connected to the same SGSN/MME. When these 2000 devices are attached, 2000 Location Updating are needed where the same profile is downloaded 2000 times. Besides, if after sometime the profile changes for the whole group (for example the alarm system decides to change the power saving profile due to a heat wave) 2000 thousand messages need to be sent to the same SGSN/MME with the same data change.